Redemption
by the.spazzy.bunny
Summary: Three chapter ficlet written for ithilienwoods' birthday. DracoHermione, because she decided she didn't want AberforthPansy, and slightly angsty at the moment. Rating may or may not increase.
1. Encounter: The Present

Three chapter ficlet that could really be put together to make a One-Shot, but I'm the author, so I do what I want. Last chappie will be posted on November 14th, so that means I will update infrequently but at set intervals. Consider this a birthday present in three installments.

Written as a birthday present for **ithilienwoods**Happy Birthday, my dearest hiddenbunni.

**The Deal:**

**Pairing: **Draco/Hermione

**Genre: **Romance/Angst

**One Line to Include: **"Your mom's a crackwhore!"

**Two Other Things to Include: **A birthday cake, and three-and-a-half kisses.

**Two Things You Don't Want: **Anymention of Dumbledore (dead or alive) or Ron.

**Redemption Series – Part One: Encounter**

She gripped her wand closer and shivered, pulling her cloak tighter around her body, then sitting down on a nearby log, a slightly crumpled piece of parchment (his letter to her with instructions on where to meet) clutched in her left hand. Aware of even the slightest sound around her, her eyes grew wide as the faint sound of crunching leaves grew closer and closer, until she could see a glimmer of a light from the end of a wand. She looked up at the night sky, the moon barely a sliver of light in the dark, and the stars she should have been able to see blanketed by clouds. The light came even closer to her now, until she could see the tip of the wand emerging from between the branches of the pine trees, lighting up the small clearing before-

'_Nox.'_

She gasped slightly as the light disappeared and stood up, backing away and pointing her own wand at where the light had been just seconds ago.

A soft chuckle floated her way, harsh, and at the same time, amused. "No need, Mudblood."

"The war is _over_, Malfoy." Nevertheless, she slowly lowered her wand as he emerged from the shadows.

"The war may be over, Voldemort might be dead, but who says prejudice died along with him?" Mercurial eyes snapped up to meet chocolate ones in the dim moonlight.

She hadn't noticed that he had closed the distance between them, half a foot, if not less, was all that was separating their bodies and if she so much as moved a foot forward…"If it had, we wouldn't be doing this."

"Hm." He gave a non-committal shrug. "Perhaps." And he closed the distance between them.

Within the next second, he had her up against a tree, arms pinned above her head, and she felt the bark scratch her wrist and his mouth on hers.

And then he was gone.

She paused for a second to catch her breath and started the trek home.


	2. Despondency: The Past

**A/N: Finally decided the format of this thing. The last chapter was the present, this one is the past, and the next will be the future. This part is _the suck_, but I promised ithilienwoods it would be up by ten-ish today, so it is.**

**Last part up on November 14th.**

Redemption Series – Part Two: Despondency

She knew what being stuck in Malfoy Manor had done to him – it had broken him. His inability to leave or talk to anyone other than Order members had broken what was once the sharp, over-confident, sarcastic Malfoy, and left the silent, bitter, uncaring Draco. And through the holes in his shell, Hermione had seen the boy in him – the part that wanted to be loved, the part that craved attention and care, and the part that no one else had seen, not even Narcissa. There was a word for how he was feeling, but she couldn't remember it.

"Hermione?" he had looked at her almost longingly, with that same feeling she couldn't remember the name of, silver eyes showing how much he was thinking.

"Hmm?" she moved closer to him on the leather couch, and she could see something was bothering him – something he didn't want to tell her.

"Nothing." Draco was fickle with his emotions, but Hermione knew he wanted her to work for it.

"What is it, Draco? Come on."

"Fine. Your mother is a crack-whore. There. Happy?" He sat up straight, as if the sofa didn't have a back, and were he to lean backwards, he would tip off. He sounded slightly amused, but a hint of bitterness tinged the words.

"I don't appreciate your jabs at my mother, especially considering she makes you dinner." The words were out of her mouth before she realized the effect they would have on him.

He hated it when someone reminded him of how dependent he was – just how much he had to rely on other people, even _muggles_ to stay alive during the War.

"Of course." He growled out, and although he didn't move away from her, she could feel him withdrawing.

"Draco. _Draco._" She was insistent now. "Look at me."

He looked at her from the corner of his eyes, not turning his head. "What?"

She could sense the presence of The Feeling again. Slightly exasperated, she moved his shoulders so he was forced to look at her. Looking into his eyes, she moved forward.

And kissed him.

Along with the wonderful taste of, of all things, lemons, she could still taste the feeling, and she had seen it in his eyes before she had…you know, kissed him. Her first kiss, at eighteen years old, with Draco Malfoy, of all people. They pulled a part barely a centimeter for air and he pulled her into his lap before their mouths met again, and this time she knew what the feeling was called, because she remembered feeling it when Ginny was killed.

She tasted despondency.


	3. Redemption: The Future

**A/N: Yes, so I'm finally updating this thing, but it's not entirely my fault. It wouldn't let me update on Nov. 14, and then exams started looming over my head and stuff – but, Merry Christmas, then, ithilienwoods, because I forgot to get you something. XD.**

**Luff, Spazz**

Redemption Series – Part Three: Redeemed

Draco Malfoy, 24, looked to his right at the brunette sitting near him on the sofa, nose buried in a book as always. This one was entitled "_History of the War – An Insight into Wizarding Psychology During The Dark Times"_. It had just been published, so naturally, she had to have it, especially because it was written (at least partially) about her and her then-boyfriend, now husband – namely, him.

He got up and walked hopefully towards the kitchen before Hermione's voice stopped him. "Don't. Even. Try it."

"But," He pouted at her. "I know my birthday cake is in there!"

She set the book down on the coffee table in front of her, and stared at him. It was enough to make him walk back to the couch and sit down again, trailing a hand suggestively up her thigh. "I see. Well, the only thing keeping me from going back into that kitchen is the thought that you might be willing to…distract me."

She laughed softly. "I see, Mr. Malfoy. I guess I'll have to distract you, or it'll ruin the surprise." She moved in to kiss him, but was interrupted by a loud "Ewwww" from the doorway. Jade, their three-year-old daughter looked at them.

As Hermione and Jade went into the kitchen to find something to eat for lunch, Draco smiled, thinking just how lucky he was to have Hermione.

While half the Wizarding world still looked at him suspiciously, while he couldn't walk into Knockturn Alley anymore, while Lucius Malfoy had killed hundreds of muggles and muggle-borns, Draco knew that in the eyes of Hermione Granger, he was redeemed.

And that was all that mattered.


End file.
